Refrigerating apparatus



June 10,1941. H. B. HULL REFRIGERATING APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Original Filed July 31, 1933 MW w m M. M m A. W a m 7 W J 2 M .m m U 1 w w. J

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REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Original Filed July 51, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheetfi 314 3/: J as Q 3/2 J 1 an 284 a ea 307 I {00 w s 333 aa'zv.

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' under the control of an expansion valve I8I.

Patented June 10, '1941 REFBIGERATING APPARATUS Harry B. Hull, Dayton, Ohio, assignor to General Motors Corporation, Dayton, Ohio, a corporation of Delaware Original application July 31, 1933, Serial No. 682,977. Divided and this application February 23, 1939, Serial No. 251,920

3 Claims.

This application is a division of my copending application Serial No. 682,977 filed July 31, 1933, now Patent No. 2,150,224, which is a continuation 'in part of application Serial No. 465,019 filed June 30, 1930.

This invention relates to refrigerating apparatus and more particularly to apparatus for cooling air, as, for instance, in rooms or the like.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide an improved apparatus for cooling andcirculating air in rooms or the like.

Another object of this invention is to provide an improved apparatus which automatically circulates the air in the room, reduces the humidity and maintains said air at a predetermined temperature.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following water through the water coils; and

Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic representation of ,the

application of the device shown in Fig. 2 to air conditioners of the. general type disclosed in Fig. 1. v

through pipe I85 and withdraws the gaseous refrigerant through pipe I81] The element I60 comprises a compressor I90 operatively connected with a motor I9I by belt I92. The motor I! is controlled by a switch I93 actuated by a thermostat I94 in response to the temperature of pipe I81. The compressor I 90 compresses the gaseous refrigerant and delivers it to a water cooled condenser I95 through pipe I96. The gaseous refrigerant is liquefied in the condenser I95 and from which it is delivered through pipe I85 to the coils I10. The heating coils' I 15 are heated by water passing through coil 200 used for liquefying the refrigerant in the condenser I95. -The coil 200 used for liquefying the refrigerant is provided with an inlet 20 I The water then passes through pipe 203, heating coils I15 to anoutlet pipe 2I0. The water inlet 20I may be connected to any suitable water pressure -system while the outlet pipe 2I0 may be connected to the water waste system. In the apparatus shown in Fig. -1,* the electrically operated fan I62 draws the air through the louvers I64 andsome air through cutaway portions of the cabinet I60 as shown at 2| I. The air is then forced through an opening 2I5 provided in a drip or moisture pan 2"; whence the air is forced along the loops of coils I10 and coils I15 and is then discharged through the which may be used for controlling the flow of screened opening I68. A bonnet or hood 2I9 is provided to prevent moisture from the coils from dripping through the opening 2I5. A thermostatic switch of the type shown in Fig. 2 may be employed for controlling the operation of the In the particular embodiment shown in Fig. 1

1 air is circulated through a cabinet I by means i of an electrically operated fan :or means I62 which draws the air through louvers I64, through an air treating zone I66 I and discharges the treated air through a screened opening-I68 pro-- electrically operated fan I62 and the flow of current to the contacts of the switch I93 as diagrammatically shownin Fig. 4 in which fan I corresponds to the fan I62 shown in Fig. 1. Thus it will be noted that refrigerant 'is circulated ture below its dew point so that when the air is rewarmed it will be at the desired relative humidity, which rewarming may be accomplished by a plu'ralityof coils I15 disposed above the coils I10 thus preventing cold saturated air from striking occupants of the room. Refrigerant is circulated in closed path through the coils I10 by means 0 a'refrigerant circulating element I The element I80 'delivers the linnid refrigerant through the air treated zone for cooling the air to a temperature below its dew point and that the air is later rewarmedvso that the discharged air will have the desired relative humidity and that paratus of the type shown in Fig. 3 of my above mentioned patent. It is to be understood that the same controls can be applied to the modificaa casing 328 and an outlet passage 329.

tion shown in Fig. 1. Similar references characters have been used in Fig. 4 of this application and Fig. 3 of my above mentioned patent so that the various parts in the two figures can be readily identified without further description. I

The controls are preferably set so that the evaporators do not attain a temperature below the freezing point of water, thus preventing the accumulation of frost on the evaporators.

In order to provide means for controlling the operation of the electrically driven fan 281 and the electrically operated valve 284 and for controlling-the flow of current to contacts 310 of switch 300 a thermostatic switch 312 has been provided. As shown in Fig. 2 the thermostatic switch 312 is provided with a bimetallic thermostatic coiled blade 314 and a plurality of mercury containing tubes or bulbs 315 and 316. The switch 312 is adapted to control the valve 284 and the fan 281 at a predetermined room temperature which may be determined by the position of the adjustable handle or indicator 320 of switch 312. As shown in Fig. 3 the electrically operated valve includes a magnet winding 322 and a movable core 323 which carries the valve proper, 325. The valve 284 is provided with an inlet passage 321 in When the magnet winding 322 becomes energized, the core 323 will be moved upwardly to move the valve proper 325 from the seat to thus allow unrestricted communication between the inlet passage 321-and the outlet passage 329 to thus permit the circulation of water through the coils 283. The switch 312 is adapted to place the magnet winding 322 of valve 284 and the motor 330 which operates the fan 281 in circuit with the I power mains 332 and 333 when the temperature of the room attains a predetermined value, for instance, the temperature as indicated by the indicator 320; Thus when the temperature of the room reaches the point indicated by the indicator 321], the switch 312 will allow the current to be supplied to the magnet winding 322 of valve 284 and to the motor 330 to cause water to circulate in coils 283 and to cause air to circulate through the air treating zone 216 by the operation of fan 281. The circuit through the magnet winding 322 of valve 284 and through the motor 330 is as follows: Power main 333, Wire 3411, magnet winding 322, wire 341, motor 330, wire 342, contacts of mercury containing tube 315 which contacts are completed by the engagement of the mercury drop 345 therewith, and wire 341 which is connected to power main 332. If the temperature of the room continues to increase, for instance, to an increase of five degrees over the desired temperature as indicated by indicator 328, the bimetallic thermostatic blade 314 will cause the rotation of the mercury containing tube 316 to thus cause the mercury drop 350 to engage the contacts of the mercury containing tube 316 to complete a circuit through the contacts 310 of switch 300 to thus allow current to flow from the power mains to the motor 296 to thereby actuate the compressor 295. The circuit through the motor 296 is power main 333, wire 352, motor 296, contacts 310 of switch 301), wire 355, wire 354, contacts of mercury containing tube 316 and wire 356 which is connected with power main 332. From the foregoing it will be noted that when the temperature of the room attains a predetermined amount, above the setting of the indicator 320 of switch 312, the electrically operated fan 281 and the electrically operated valve 284 will be actuated to thus cause the flow of water in the coils 283 and the circulation of air through the air treating zone 216. However, should the water flow apparatus and the fan 281 be unable to maintain the desired temperature in the room to be cooled the refrigerating element 290 would be rendered operative to supply refrigerant to the coils 281 to thus reduce the temperature in the room to the temperature indicated by the indicator 3211 of switch 312. When the temperature of the room is reduced to a temperature below that indicated by the means 320, the thermostat 314 will cause the rotation of mercury containing tube 3 I 6 to separate the mercury drop 350 from the contacts of the tube 316 to thus interrupt the flow of current to the motor 296 to thereby render the refrigerant circulating element inoperative. In the event the temperature of the room should fall below the desired temperature, as indicated by means 320 of switch 3 I 2, by the operation of the water. flow apparatus and fan alone, the thermostat 314 will actuate the mercury containing tube 315 to thus separate the mercury drop 345 from the contacts of mercury tube 315 to thus interrupt the circuit to the motor 330 and to the magnet winding 322 of valve 284 to thus close the valve to thus prevent the circulation of water in the coils 283 and render the fan 281 inoperative. By this construction the cooling mediumsupplied to the banks of coils 283 and 281, extending across the cooler chamber 215, is independently and automatically varied so that the cooling effect of each bank on the air is varied in accordance with refrigeration demands.

If desired, the water inlet pipe 396 may be provided with a manually operable valve 500 as shown in Fig. 4, so that the fan 281 may be caused to operate to create an air current in the room without any cooling whatsoever merely by closing the manually operable valve 500 and by operating the manual switch 501 placed across the leads to the automatic control 312. Under such conditions, the pointer 320 should be adjusted to a temperature higher than any temperature likely to be reached by the air in the room. When under such setting and condition, the motor 330 will operate continuously and water will be prevented from flowing through the coil 283 by the valve 500, and no refrigerant will flow through the coil 281, because the control 312 is adjusted above the normal range of the air in the room.

1 While the form of embodiment of the present invention as herein disclosed, constitutes a preferred form, it is to be understood that other forms might be adopted all coming within the scope of the claims which follow.

What is claimed is as follows:

1. Air conditioning apparatus for a room or the like comprising in combination, a cabinet adapted to be mounted within the room, an air treating zone in the upper portion of said cabinet, a refrigerant evaporatorin said zone, a water circulating coil in said zone, air circulating means disposed beneath said zone, a condensate collecting shield disposed between said air treating zone and said air circulating means, an air inlet opening in said casing adjacent said air circulating means, an air discharge opening above sa d air treating zone, refrigerant liquefying means in refrigerant flow relationship with said evaporator, means for circulating water in thermal exchange relationship with at least a portion of said refrigerant liquefying apparatus, and means whereby the water flowing in thermal exchange means circulating air to be conditioned over said evaporator and said water coil, a. blower motor driving said blower means, a compressor motor driving said compressor, a blower motor switch, a

compressor motor switch, an expansion valve at the inlet of said evaporator, a thermostatic bulb at the outlet of said evaporator, said valve and bulb cooperating with said compressor motor switch to maintain the temperature of said evaporator above the freezing point of water and below the dew point of air flowing over said evaporator, and means for circulating water flowing through said water coil in thermal exchange relationship with said condenser.

3. In the apparatus set forth in claim 2, a cabinet adapted to be mounted within the space to be conditioned, and means for supporting said evaporator, said water coil and said blower means within said cabinet.

HARRY EHULL. 

